With preparations made to bring sugarcane to Mysugar factory in Mandya from August 31, Sugar Minister Shankar Patil Munenakoppa said crushing operations at the government-run sugar factory in the State will resume before September 10.
Mr. Munenakoppa, who visited Mysugar factory on Sunday and inspected the functioning of various equipment and machinery on the premises, said necessary steps had been taken to ensure that the sugar factory does not go into the red again by adopting recommendations made by an expert committee.
He said the technical and financial recommendations made by the expert committee has identified the steps necessary to prevent wastage of money. The recommendations will be adopted to ensure that the sugar factory runs profitably without slipping into a loss again.
The government plans to begin production of ethanol also in the factory after starting process of crushing sugarcane first.
The government will ensure availability of necessary funds for capital expenditure so that operations can resume, he said and sought to assure the farmers of Mandya that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai launch the operations of factory before September 10.
Mysugar factory was the pride of people of Karnataka and State government will ensure that the sugar factory functions properly. Knowledgable officials will be posted to run the factory under government control and there will be no room for any illegalities or violation of the law. Transparency will be ensured in the functioning of the factory, he said.
Mysugar factory’s general manager Shivananda Murthy and Managing Director Patil Appasaheb were also present.
The factory, which was started by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1933, began experiencing difficulties in the 1980s before operations were suspended a few years ago. Mechanical and electrical problems, besides frequent breakdown in the machinery had been attributed for the factory’s downslide.
Though there was a proposal to privatise the factory, the State government rejected the proposal due to opposition from farmers’ representatives and decided to revive the operations of the sugar factory under its control.
